Transcript 05_-_Human_Learning

Human Learning
(PLLT) 78-86
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“... the cognitive domain of human behavior is
of key importance in the acquisition of both a
first and a second language. The processes of
perceiving, attending, storing, and recalling are
central to the task of internalizing a language..”
What you need to know before
you start teaching someone:
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Entry behavior
Goals of the task
Methods of training
Evaluation procedure
What’s learning?
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Before we start talking about “Human
Learning”, it is important we all understand
what learning is:
- “acquiring or getting of knowledge of a
subject or a skill by study, experience, or
instruction”
“a relatively permanent change in behavioral
tendency, … the result of reinforced practice”
Now, we will focus on how some psychologists
have defined learning
Learning
1. Behavoristic viewpoint:
Pavlov, Watson, and Skinner
3. Constructivist school of thought:
Carl Rogers
2. Rational/cognitive viewpoint:
Ausubel
1. Behavioristic viewpoint
a) Ivan Pavlov
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For Pavlov the learning process consisted of the
formation of associations between stimuli and
reflexive responses, where a previously neutral
stimulus (the sound of tuning fork) had
acquired the power to elicit a response
(salivation) that was originally elicited by
another stimulus (the smell of meat).
b) John B. Watson
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John B. Watson strongly agreed with Pavlov’s findings
regarding learning.
He adopted classical conditioning theory as the
explanation for all learning: by the process of conditioning
we build an array of stimulus-response connections and
more complex behaviors are learned by building up series
of chains of responses.
He believed that human behavior should be studied
objectively, rejecting mentalistic notions of innatenes and
instinct.
c) B.F. Skinner
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Skinner’s operant conditioning
attempted to explain most of human
learning and behavior.
In order to understand learning from the
viewpoint of Skinner, it is important to
understand the following terms:
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Operant behavior: behavior in which one “operates”
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Reinforcers: the events or stimuli that follow a
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Operants: they are classes of responses. For
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Respondents: sets of responses that are elicited by
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Punishments: they can be either the withdrawal of a
on the environment; within this model the
importance of stimuli is de-emphasized.
response and that tend to strenghten behavior or
increase the probability of a recurrence of that
response.
example, crying, sitting down, walking, etc. These
operants are emitted and governed by the
consequences they produce.
identifiable stimuli.
positive reinforcer or the presentation of an aversive
stimulus.
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According to Skinner, the best method of extinction
is the absence of any reinforcement; however, the
active reinforcement of alternative responses hurry
that extinction.
Following Skinner’s model, one is led to believe that
virtually any subject matter can be taught effectively
and successfully by a carefully designed program of
step-by-step reinforcement.
Skinner, in his book Verbal Behavior, describes
language as a system of verbal operants. His
understanding of the role of conditioning led to a
whole new era in language teaching around the
middle of the twentieth century. Classrooms adopted
a “controlled practice of verbal operants under
carefully designed schedules of reinforcement”
methodology.
2. Rational/cognitive viewpoint
a) David Ausubel
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Claimed that learning takes place in the human organism
through a meaningful process of relating new events or items to
already existing cognitive concepts or propositions.
His cognitive theory of learning can be best understood if we
contrast rote learning (the mental storage of items having little
or no association with existing cognitive structure. Without
reference to cognitive hierarchical organization), and meaningful
learning (the process or relating and anchoring new material to
relevant established entities in cognitive structure.
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When new material enteres the cognitive
field, it interacts with, and is appropriately
subsumed under, a more inclusive
conceptual system. This way, it becomes
meaningful.
Meaningful learning is the processes
where blocks become an integral part of
already established categories or
systematic clusters of blocks.
Subsumed items are “pruned” in favor of a
larger, more global conception, which is,
in turn, related to other items in cognitive
structure (systematic “forgetting”).
How can you turn a learning experience into a meaningful
one?
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Learners need to have a meaningful
learning set: the disposition to relate
the new learning task to what they
already know.
The learning task needs to be
potentially meaningful to the learners:
it means that t has to be relatable to the
learners’ structure of knowledge.
But what if the new learning experience has no relation to
what we already know?
What if the experience has no
potential meaningfulness to the learners?
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Frank Smith (1975), contended that it is
possible to “manufacture”
meaningfulness. That is, we can make
things meaningful if necessary and if we
are strongly motivated to do so. For
example, by using mnemonics or
cognitive maps.
William James (father of Fuctionalism)
described meaningful learning in 1890.
Both rote learning and meaningful learning represent
“learning”. Why is meaningful learning given more importance?
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The difference is clear. “Meaningful learning”
represents better retention and storage of
information in long-term memory.
Human beings are capable of learning almost
any given item within the so-called “magic
seven, plur or minus two” units for perhaps a
few seconds, but long-term memory is a
different. Something meaningfully learned, and
subsumed has a greater potential for retention.